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rafterman23
Joined: 08 Apr 2015
Posts: 11
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 Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 3:21 am Post subject: Seeing a *ton* of conflicting information... |
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Hi everyone! I've been recently really getting into the nitty gritty of looking for a job. I just recently completed my CELTA training (certificate will be coming in the next 2 or 3 weeks.) I'm a white, male, US Citizen, 22 years old, and I just graduated college (a month ago, with high honors) with a degree in Engineering. Unrelated major, yeah, but I'm looking to go out and see the world and travel while getting some work experience for a year or two (f**k me right?) In a perfect world I'd be going to Shenzhen teaching adults, but I realize I don't have much ground to stand on in terms of dictating terms.
I've been getting an enormous amount of conflicting information about everything really. Hell, I've seen a couple websites claim that Dave's ESL Cafe is a scam website where identity thieves post fake ads to steal your info. (Apparently there are whole websites full of blacklists of which sites to not go to.) I'd always thought the cafe was one of the good ones (hopefully still true?) There are whole websites out there detailing all of the ways teachers have been screwed and conned and all. It's really disheartening. I have no idea where to even go anymore to apply for jobs. Pretty much every site I've ever heard of has been blacklisted somewhere as being a scam. Does anyone know any *actually* good sites where it is safe to apply? Or is it all a wash of scams with a few legitimate schools peppered in?
Anyway, its clear that this "two years post-graduate teaching experience" thing is a huge issue for me. I *really* want to go to China, I've visited and I love it there, I studied Chinese for 2 years in University, made many Chinese friends, but the required work experience thing is killing me. I've had two full time jobs in my summers between school (Summer 2014, Summer 2015) and I tutored math and science for my senior year (Fall 2015-Spring 2016), which was a part time job. Then I got my CELTA, now looking for jobs. Clearly this isn't 2 years of post grad work experience, but it is work experience right? I've seen many people on this site and others claim that China is still one of the best places to go (besides Korea maybe) for first time teachers with little teaching experience, but this seems hugely at odds with all of the other people saying that the 2 year requirement has been cut into stone and is checked by Xi Jinping himself. I have just about everything else underway for the bureaucratic quagmire that is the visa process. I'm getting a second copy of my diploma to send around the gamut of getting notarized by everyone.
Oh also, medical checks. Some (like the website of the Chinese Embassy in the US) say I don't need any medical papers to get a Z visa. Other people tell all these stories about getting medical checks before you apply. But there are no official forms (that I've seen) to give to my doctor or anything to fill out, or anywhere that says that I need them, so where is this coming from?
What is your advice? What should I do, where should I look for legitimate jobs? I'm at a complete loss right now. |
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Laurence
Joined: 26 Apr 2005
Posts: 401
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 4:46 am Post subject: |
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| What is your advice? |
Just apply for jobs and see what happens. There's no single source of legit jobs, so you're going to have to scour listings and read forums to build up a picture of what jobs might be a good way in.
As a first timer, you're going to start on the bottom rung anyway, so I would worry less about money and more about getting a position where your accommodation is comfortable (good location and not falling apart) and where you work with other teachers that you can learn from. If you do find yourself on contact with a potential school, always ask for contact info from current teachers there so you can reach out and find out what it's actually like.
However, at 22 you are going to run into a lot of schools that can't or won't hire you because as you say at your age it's impossible to demonstrate two years' post-graduation experience. This kind of thing didn't use to be a problem but the rules are getting tighter all the time. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Go for Universities of Technology. Your engineering knowledge would be a plus, particularly for students intending to go to the US for post grad. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Non Sequitur wrote: |
| Go for Universities of Technology. Your engineering knowledge would be a plus, particularly for students intending to go to the US for post grad. |
The OP would qualify for such a position despite being 22 yrs old, a fresh BS holder, and with zero experience?  |
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rafterman23
Joined: 08 Apr 2015
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
| The OP would qualify for such a position despite being 22 yrs old, a fresh BS holder, and with zero experience? |
Was just about to say, doubt I'm getting any university positions any time soon when I just got out of one as a student |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
| Non Sequitur wrote: |
| Go for Universities of Technology. Your engineering knowledge would be a plus, particularly for students intending to go to the US for post grad. |
The OP would qualify for such a position despite being 22 yrs old, a fresh BS holder, and with zero experience? |
OP is where he is. |
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LarssonCrew
Joined: 06 Jun 2009
Posts: 1308
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| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Regarding the medical. I think the school / employer needs the medical to get you the invite letter for the visa. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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